Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Arrival in Kenya! Mission: Stay Awake!

We arrived safely in Nairobi at about 7:30 a.m. local time. There was some excitement on the flight as we began though, which made for a very interesting dynamic. While boarding a Kenyan man in the back of the plane (about 4 rows behind us) was screaming and yelling for help. Three large Caucasian men were holding him down and trying to quiet him. Long story short, he was being deported and was trying to make a scene to get the other passengers to band together to get him removed. He nearly succeeded but as soon as we starting taxiing on the runway he calmed down and we never heard another peep from him. Needless to say, Will was pretty freaked out at first, but he ended up okay.
Today our mission has been to stay awake. With jet lag firmly settling into our bodies the urge to sleep has come on hard and fast. Even though we took naps on the plane through the two over-night flights the desire to sleep more has been nearly impossible to hold back. After TWO double cappuccinos and a strong cup of coffee at friend, John Haspel’s home, I still wanted to sleep while touring around Rosslyn Academy (the school of the Brown’s children, and Lesa’s work place).

We got to tour the AIM offices, meet many missionaries and administrative personnel, visit the Karen Giraffe Center, ate lunch in a Muslim-owned compound (which meant no pork products), visited the Haspels, Rosslyn Academy, and finally back to the Brown’s home. Will has had a blast playing with Robbie, Avery & Sydney—on playgrounds, rocks, a concrete “ear”, and everywhere in between. Now they’re taking over the world with Lego spaceships and relaxing.

While the experiences so far are too overwhelming to mention, it is amazing to be with our friends in the home in a new and foreign land. There will be much more to come and to write about, but we want you to know that we are here safe and sound.
Prayers go out to all missionaries who serve in this land—no matter the organization, denomination, or nationality.
Salama (Peace in Swahili)

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